Jeremiah Rankin
Rev. Jeremiah Eames Rankin (January 2, 1828 - November 28, 1904) was a minister of Washington D.C.'s First Congregational Church, a president of Howard University, and an American poet and Hymnist. Life Rankin was born in Thornton, New Hampshire. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1848. After completing his seminary studies at Andover, New Hampshire, in 1854, he served as pastor of Presbyterian and Congregational churches in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. He was awarded a doctorate from Middlebury College in 1869. In 1869 Rankin became pastor of Washington's First Congregational Church. This appointment followed a split in the church over the issue of race. Those who remained with the church felt that was prepared to lead the church in a properly unbiased direction. While he was pastor of First Congregational (1869-1884), Rankin's sermons were popular with Vice President Woodrow Wilson and members of the U.S. Congress. 2 of his sermons were published and circulated throughout the country ("The Bible, the Security of American Institutions" and "The Divinity of the Ballot"). From 1870 on he was closely associated with Howard College in Washington, DC, as trustee, professor of homiletics and pastoral theology, and president. He served twice as delegate to general conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and once to the Congregational union of England and Wales. In 1889 he was appointed sixth president of Howard College. Howard University's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel was built during Jeremiah Rankin's tenure as president (1890-1903) and named after his brother. In 1903 Rankin published a fictional journal of Esther Burr (Jonathan Edwards's daughter and mother of Aaron Burr). Writing Rankin is best known as author of the hymns "God Be with You 'Til we Meet Again" and "Tell It to Jesus." Aside from his hymns, Rankin's best known poem is "The Babie," in the broguish style of Robert Burns, whom Rankin liked for their shared Scottish ancestry. Publications Poetry *''The Auld Scotch Mither, and other poems in the dialect of Burns. Boston: D. Lothrop / Dover, NH: G.T. Day, 1873. *Oor kirk fair, and ither verses of that ilk. Washington, DC: Pilgrim Press Association, 1881. *Romano more; or, Ye old Pilgrims to ye new: On Forefathers' Day. New York: John B. Alden, 1886. *Ingleside Rhaims: Verses in the dialect of Burns. New York: John B. Alden, 1887. *''Brechin Ballads. New York: John B. Alden, 1887. *''Broken cadences : an ode in three parts. Boston: Our Day Publishing, 1889. *The Cup the Father giveth, and other poems, original and translated. New York: H.E. Simmons, 1894. Hymns *Hymns Pro Patria, and other hymns, Christian and humanitarian. New York: J.B. Alden, 1889. Novel *Esther Burr's Journal. Washington, DC: Howard University, 1901. Non-fiction *''The Loss of a Wife: A discourse, delivered at the funeral of Mrs. Marshall Mason. St. Albans, VT: H.A. Cutter, 1862. *''The duty of Commemorating the Deeds of our Fathers: A sermon preached in the Winthrop church, Charlestown, June 18, 1865. Boston: M.H. Sargent, 1865. *Moses and Joshua : a discourse on the death of Abraham Lincoln, preached in the Winthrop Church, Charlestown, Wednesday noon, April 19, 1865. Boston: Dakin & Metcalf, 1865. *''Gems for the Bridal Ring: A gift for the plighted and the wedded. Boston: Congregational Sabbath School and Publishing Society, 1868. *''Robert Burns: Heather-bells drappit on his grave.'' Washington, DC: William Ballantyne, 1873. *''The Song of Moses and the Lamb: A discourse preached in the First Congregational Church, Washington, D.C., March 14, 1880''. Washington, DC: T. McGill, 1880. *''Nihilism in theology; or, The eschatology of the new departure. Remarks before the Congregational club of New York, April 23, 1883''. Washington, DC: Pilgrim Press Association, 1883. *''Professor Park and his Pupils: A biographical sketch, with letters received on his ninetieth birthday, his personal religious creed and other papers''. Boston: Samuel Usher, 1899. Translated *''German-English Lyrics: Sacred and secular. Washington, DC: Howard University, 1897. ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Jeremiah Rankin, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Oct. 30, 2013. See also * List of U.S. poets * List of English-language hymnists References External links ;Poems *Rankin, Jeremiah Eames (1828-1904) ("The Babie") at Representative Poetry Online *Jeremiah Eames Rankin in An American Anthology 1787-1900:: "The Babie," "The Word of God to Leyden Came". ;Hymns *"God Be with You 'Til We Meet Again" (Shockwave required) in hypermedia presentation at the BinAural Collaborative Hypertext ;Books *Jeremiah Eames Rankin at Amazon.com ;About *Jeremiah Eames Rankin 1828-1904 at Hymntime *Jeremiah Eames Rankin 1828-1904 at Cyberhymnal {Authority control|VIAF=72978423}} Category:1828 births Category:1903 deaths Category:Middlebury College alumni Category:American Presbyterian clergy Category:19th-century Presbyterian clergy Category:American poets Category:American university and college presidents Category:American Congregationalist clergy Category:19th-century poets Category:Christian hymnwriters Category:English-language poets Category:Hymnists Category:Poets